Friday, April 24, 2015

Texas Wildflowers

I missed the bluebonnets this year.  Time got away from me, kids were sick, it was raining, and I just missed it.

Instead, I took Cassidy to a park with other gorgeous wildflowers.  She was cooperative for about 5 minutes before she realized walking in flowers almost as tall as her was not her thing.

Cassidy in the Wildflowers




Miss Personality!

Friday, April 17, 2015

The 'Target Meltdown'

Yesterday was a horrible day.  Horrible doesn't even do yesterday justice.  More like let me crawl into a hole with an entire bottle of wine and every junk food imaginable kind of day.

I had to go to Target yesterday.  There was no avoiding it.  I really needed a few things (i.e. kids toothpaste and a birthday card for my niece).  Usually when I bring the 3 youngest to Target, they are really good.  So when we finally get there (because Sawyer kept taking off his shoes and running away), I grabbed my giant two seater cart and strapped the kids in.  Cassidy and Sawyer get belted in next to each other, and Cullen walks.

I decide to see if Target has any sandals for Cassidy.  Since she's walking, she'll need sandals for the summer.  We go over and I'm looking trying to decide on a size and style.  I tried one pair on her, then wanted to try one more pair.  That was my downfall.

While trying on the second pair, Cullen decided to be 'helpful' and pull out more shoes for me.  In the process, he knocked the first shoebox behind a stack of others.  When I decided to purchase the first pair, I couldn't find it.  I'm looking and looking, and that's when my problems began.

Sawyer thought it was a good idea to rip Cassidy's hair bow and hair out of her head.  Cassidy starts screaming and crying, and I see her hair bow was thrown on the floor.  I also see Sawyer playing with a long piece of her hair.  I go pick up the bow, put it back and Cassidy's hair, and slap Sawyer's hand.  Sawyer loses it because he knows he's been bad.  He proceeds to take off his sandals and throw them as far away from the cart and me as possible in retaliation.  While I'm walking over to pick up the sandals, he bites Cassidy's leg and arm.   She starts screaming again, and he's still crying.  I put his shoes back on him, unbuckle him, and move him into the cart away from Cassidy.  He's mad I moved him and takes his shoes off again (luckily, he doesn't throw them this time).  I go back over to look for the box and finally find it.  It felt like I was standing there looking for that damn box for 30 minutes when in reality it was probably 30 seconds.

During all of this, I get dirty looks from no less than 5 Target customers.  One woman actually has the nerve to sneer at me!  I had the sudden urge to hide while simultaneously wanting to smack that sneer off her face.  Who the hell do people think they are?!

Anyway, I'm finally leaving the shoe department when one nice lady stops and says, "Honey, you're doing a good job.  I had three little ones at once, and it's hard.  Keep going."  I wanted to kiss this lady!  She was the only that offered kindness and wasn't judging me and my kids' behavior.

Of course the toothpaste and cards are on the other side of the store, so I'm trekking it over there.  Sawyer leans over the cart, grabs Cassidy's arm, and bites her, again.  She's crying; he starts crying when I grab his head in a death grip and tell him he's being bad.

At this point, the whole trip seems to go in slow motion.  I'm carrying Cassidy, pushing a giant cart with three things in it, Sawyer's screaming and crying, but Cullen was quietly walking beside me.  Cullen even put his arm around Cassidy trying to protect her from Sawyer at one point.  Sweetest thing ever!

We're leaving, and I'm still getting looks that could kill.

Let me tell you, do not stand there and judge me!  It was definitely a one off for my family.  My kids are good in public and running errands.  Just because my two year old was acting like an asshole and torturing his sister, does not make me a bad parent.  Sneer lady can just kiss my ass!  You think your kids are perfect.  Please, woman, no kids are perfect.  And if you think yours are, you are an even bigger asshole than your kids are.  No kid and no parent is perfect.  And the ones whose parents think they are perfect and can do no wrong are the worst of all.

The 'Target Meltdown' was just the start of my bad day.  Sawyer then snuck into my bathroom and cleaned the entire toilet area with the toilet bowl brush and toilet water.  Cassidy was bit at least one more time.  He threw a series of Legos at Jackson's head.  He closed Cullen and Cassidy's fingers in a trunk.  So yea, he's lucky to be alive as far as I'm concerned.  It was an early nap time and early bed time for the little shit yesterday.

On a good note, Sawyer is having a better day today.  We're all entitled to a one off day, but yesterday topped the charts for him.  I was glad for bed time last night, then went to the gym to work off some stress.  I do not want a repeat (ever!).

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Double Ear Infection

Poor kid has a double ear infection.  But at least he's a happy, sick kid!

Friday, April 10, 2015

We've got a Walker!

Within the past week and a half, Cassidy decided to start walking.  She's been taking steps and transferring for awhile, but she would never let go and walk.  I knew she would just decide it would be time to walk one day and start.  And she did!

Cassidy just let go and walked across the room one day last week.  She never did it when Andrew and I were watching her.  If she did, she became too excited and fell.

Now, she's walking everywhere.  Of course, it's the one year old 'I'll walk wherever I want to and not where you want me to' walk, but I'll take it.

I've been wanting her to walk for awhile.  Honestly, I was tired of hauling around a 21lb baby.  She gets heavy.  I would say that and people would comment, "Oh no, you don't want her to walk yet.  Jus soak it up."  Okay people who don't know, you carry her everywhere for a day and tell me if you want her to walk.  Yes, she may be the last of my babies to walk, but I was definitely look forward to this milestone.  And now that it's here, I'm definitely happy.

Now if I could just get her hair to grow a bit faster so I could put something other than a barrette she just rips out of her hair.  One step at a time....


Friday, April 3, 2015

Soccer Season

Happy Good Friday!

It's a busy time in our household.  Jackson started up soccer again last month.  Of course, his first game it was 30 degrees outside.  I was freezing my ass off, but that's the nature of the beast.  If you skip to the last 30 seconds, you'll see Jackson score a breakaway goal.  Please ignore the commentary from my dad and myself.  After coaching him last season, some habits stuck.  I promise I'm a supportive parent!
 



Jackson's improving his skills and has more ball control this season. (It's bad that I just snickered when I wrote that.)  Anyway, moving past my perverted mind, he's enjoying playing again and is continuing to develop as a player.  Of course, we have occasions of him landing on the ground for unknown reasons, but what else is new.  Here are a few pictures of his last soccer game.